Council paves the way for creation of AI gigafactories

On 16 January, the Council adopted an amendment to the Regulation governing the activities of the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC Joint Undertaking), extending its objectives to facilitate the creation of artificial intelligence (AI) gigafactories in Europe and to include a specific pillar on quantum technologies.

The amended Regulation enables the development and operation of AI gigafactories in Europe, a world-class AI computing infrastructure that will strengthen European industry and competitiveness and foster cooperation through public-private partnerships involving Member States and industry stakeholders. It also sets out the rules for funding and public procurement and protects the interests of start-ups and scale-ups. The amendment offers flexibility to partners, allowing them to optimise results while promoting Europe’s leadership in the fields of AI and quantum technologies.

Next steps

The legislative act has been adopted following its adoption by the Council. The Regulation will be published in theOfficial Journal of the European Unionon 19 January and will enter into force the following day.

Background

The aim of EuroHPC is to develop, deploy and maintain a supercomputing, quantum computing and data infrastructure in the Union, while supporting the growth of systems, technologies and capabilities in the field of high-performance computing (HPC) for European science and industry. The EuroHPC Regulation was amended in 2024 to include the development and operation of AI factories — dynamic ecosystems that foster innovation and collaboration in the field of artificial intelligence. The second amendment proposed by the Commission, introduced on 15 July 2025, goes further by supporting the establishment of AI gigafactories, giving new impetus to Europe’s leadership in AI innovation.

Further information: Council of the European Union